A convincing home win over the reigning Dutch champions confirmed a Champions League play-off spot with one game still to play for the Magpies on Wednesday night.

Speaking ahead of the tie, PSV coach Peter Bosz praised the recent Newcastle versus Leeds Premier League game "as how football should be played". Despite an unbeaten away run stretching back to March and extending to 20 games though, his side proved to be ill-equipped for this challenge.

Their below-strength forward line presented virtually no threat to the home defence, while the Dutch backline had a night to forget with all three Magpie goals arising from their unforced errors.

Taking to the field with just one change from the side that stuttered to a scoreless draw at Wolves - Yoane Wissa replacing Nick Woltemade - a positive start saw Anthony Gordon fire over the bar, before Wissa marked his first Champions League start by firing home a trademark early goal.

After Sven Botman volleyed narrowly wide, the hosts doubled their lead on the half hour; PSV again guilty of a concentration lapse after one of their players underwent treatment in the opposing half and Gordon restarted play by knocking the ball upfield and then crucially chasing after it.

He was rewarded when Yasik Gasiorowski dawdled on the ball and was caught by Wissa, leaving Gordon to walk the ball in. PSV's Ivan Perisic may have have had some sense of deja vu at this point, his last visit here with Spurs in 2023 seeing them concede five times in the first 21 minutes.

The visitors did enjoy a spell of possession late in the first half as Bruno Guimaraes unsuccessfully attempted to play on with an ankle injury, but failed to create any clear-cut opportunities.

Newcastle's third just after the hour followed another slack piece of PSV play after Nick Pope's long punt upfield and was finished in trademark style by Harvey Barnes to seal victory.

More home goals could have followed, the arrival of Anthony Elanga seeing the now-obsolete Elliot Anderson "Geordie Maradona" reworked for the Swede  - something that looked to visibly boost him.

At least tonight, there was a sense that fans were willing him on to succeed in similar fashion to Miggy Almiron, who took 27 games to get off the mark. This was Elanga's 28th appearance. 

A similar moment of positivity came late on as Kieran Trippier was replaced, pausing to place the captain's armband he'd worn since Bruno's withdrawal on the bicep of Lewis Miley - an unprompted gesture that brought a roar of approval.

A fourth victory and clean sheet in seven ties left Eddie Howe's side seventh in the Champions League table, assured of a place in the top 24 and a play-off spot as a minimum.

Newcastle are one of eight sides on 13 points including Chelsea, Manchester City and next week's final League Phase opponents PSG - currently one place ahead of us on goals scored.

It's fair to say that we have unfinished business at the Parc des Princes following 2023's 1-1 draw: going there knowing that the victory we were deprived of that night would open up a place in the last 16, boosting our earnings and removing the two February ties from our congested fixture list.

Concerns over whether talisman Bruno will be fit enough for that tie were partly offset by seeing Joelinton and Malick Thiaw avoid the cautions that would have seen them suspended in Paris.

Progress in Europe then, thanks to an opponent who weren't content (or capable) of deploying what we're obliged to call a low block. A refreshing change to the increasingly formulaic Premier League, that allowed United to give a convincing approximation of the pressing game seen less post-Isak.

PSR may still be problematic for United, but PSV presented no obstacle to their ambitions here. PSG promises to be a rather sterner examination, but nights like that are what this is all about.

Biffa